MSN Slideshows

No way these 19 decadent desserts came from boxed cake mix

Photo of author

By Leah Ingram

| Published:

Once you learn to hack boxed cake mix, you’ll discover that you can create bakery and restaurant-quality desserts that taste top notch. With these 19 decadent desserts, everyone will say no way these started with a boxed mix. But they really did.

A bowl of cake topped with blueberries and strawberries, served on a flag-themed cloth.
Red White and Blue Trifle. Photo credit: Bagels and Lasagna.

Yellow Cake Mix Cookies

Overhead view of yellow cake mix cookies after baking.
Yellow Cake Mix Cookies. Photo credit: Urban Farmie.

These yellow cake mix cookies only need four simple ingredients. Another benefit? You can make them in just 20 minutes, which is why they are perfect for a quick, delicious snack!
Get the Recipe: Yellow Cake Mix Cookies

Strawberry Donuts

A stack of colorful, glazed doughnuts with sprinkles, displayed on a white surface surrounded by scattered candies.
Strawberry Donuts. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Skip the bakery line and make these easy homemade strawberry donuts! Made with a boxed cake mix base, they’re perfect for busy families and anyone craving a delicious treat. Simple, fun, and bursting with flavor!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Donuts

Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese

Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese stacked up on a cutting board.
Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Cake mix cookies with cream cheese are simple to make and delicious. With box cake mix and a few easy ingredients, you get delicious homemade cookies that are soft and chewy, with a rich, buttery taste!
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Slice of chocolate cherry cake topped with cherry pie filling.
Chocolate Cherry Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This simple chocolate cherry cake is made by mixing a box of cake mix with cherry pie filling. Topped off with a chocolate glaze, it is the easiest cheater cake recipe ever.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Cake

Red White and Blue Trifle Dessert

A layered trifle dessert in a glass bowl, topped with whole strawberries and blueberries. The layers include cake, cream, and fruit.
Red White and Blue Trifle Dessert. Photo credit: Bagels and Lasagna.

One of my favorite desserts to make on a patriotic, American holiday is a red white and blue trifle. It’s super easy to pull together, with fresh sliced strawberries, blueberries and pieces of vanilla cake made from a box mix.
Get the Recipe: Red White and Blue Trifle Dessert

Cool Whip Cookies

Cool whip cookies on parchment with powdered sugar.
Cool Whip Cookies. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Cool Whip Cookies are tasty cake mix cookies! All you need is a box of lemon cake mix, a tub of Cool Whip and an egg. Whip them all together and bake, and next thing you know, you have a batch of soft and chewy cookies.
Get the Recipe: Cool Whip Cookies

Chocolate Dump Cake

Chocolate dump cake topped with colorful M&Ms.
Chocolate Dump Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Chocolate dump cake is the ultimate chocolatey treat. There are so many easy chocolate ingredients — chocolate cake mix, chocolate chips and M&M’s. No wonder it is a sinfully delicious dessert.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Dump Cake

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

A bowl of cake with ice cream on top.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Looking for your new favorite fall dessert recipe? Then you’ll want to try your hand at this Caramel Apple Dump Cake. It is so simple to make, with apples, caramel and boxed cake mix.
Get the Recipe: Caramel Apple Dump Cake

Magic Rhubarb Dump Cake

Rhubarb and cake mix in a dessert pan.
Magic Rhubarb Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

This magic dump cake gets its name from how fast it disappears when you make it. It is so easy to make. Just dump the ingredients and bake, no mixing needed. Make with fresh or frozen rhubarb plus yellow cake mix.
Get the Recipe: Magic Rhubarb Dump Cake

Blueberry Dump Cake

Blueberry dump cake in a baking dish.
Blueberry Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Blueberry cake made with fresh or frozen blueberries, jello and a cake mix. So if you need a quick and easy dessert, try this delicious blueberry dump cake recipe! Dump, bake, enjoy and listen to the compliments rolling in.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Dump Cake

Cherry Dump Cake

Cherry dump cake in a baking dish.
Cherry Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

This sweet cherry dump cake is made with layers of pitted bing cherries — frozen or fresh — plus jello mix, boxed cake mix, butter and water. There’s no mixing needed.
Get the Recipe: Cherry Dump Cake

Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Sweet potato dump cake in a baking dish.
Sweet Potato Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Sweet Potato Dump Cake is a straightforward dessert that blends creamy sweet potato filling with the simplicity of a spice cake mix topping. Best of all, you can use a yellow cake mix instead of spice if that’s what you have.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Strawberry Dump Cake

A pan with a scoops of cake dessert taked out.
Strawberry Dump Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Fresh strawberries layered with strawberry jello, a dry cake mix, melted butter, and water are baked up together to make this strawberry dump cake. They come together to make magic in the pan.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Dump Cake

Easy Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Slices of pumpkin crunch cake in white plates with forks on the side.
Easy Pumpkin Crunch Cake. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Try this easy Pumpkin Crunch Cake recipe! It’s like a dump cake meets a pumpkin pie and the result is a layered pumpkin dessert that is perfect for fall or, really, any time of the year.
Get the Recipe: Easy Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Cake Mix Maple Pecan Cupcakes

A plate of five cupcakes with cream frosting, decorated with nuts, is placed next to a sprig of orange berries and autumn leaves on a light gray surface. A small glass cup of tea is also nearby.
Cake Mix Maple Pecan Cupcakes. Photo credit: Bagels and Lasagna.

I love how easy this recipe is for Cake Mix Maple Pecan Cupcakes. One of the reasons it is simple and quick is because you’re using boxed cake mix.
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Maple Pecan Cupcakes

Pumpkin Brownies

Stacked layered pumpkin brownies.
Pumpkin Brownies. Photo credit: Little House Big Alaska.

These three-layer pumpkin brownies start with fudgy box mix brownies mixed according to directions. Then mix in a few other ingredients to create the pumpkin layer of the brownies.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Brownies

Banana Caramel Cake

Iced banana cake with pecans on top.
Banana Caramel Cake. Photo credit: One Hot Oven.

This Easy Banana Caramel Cake is tender and flavorful and it all starts with a boxed cake mix. The end result tastes like it came from a high-end bakeshop.
Get the Recipe: Banana Caramel Cake

Mountain Dew Bundt Cake

An overhead view of an iced Mountain Dew bundt cake on a yellow plate.
Mountain Dew Bundt Cake. Photo credit: One Hot Oven.

Bundt cakes are so easy to make and this Mountain Dew Bundt Cake has a delicious lemon flavor with creamy icing drizzling down the sides. Lemon lovers, you’ll want to bake this for your next dessert.
Get the Recipe: Mountain Dew Bundt Cake

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Squares of peanut butter brownies.
Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. Photo credit: One Hot Oven.

Craving instant gratification with minimal effort? These peanut butter cup brownies are your answer! This simple recipe starts with a boxed mix plus some peanut butter cups.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

13 Italian dishes that taste like Italy

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.